Jaden McDaniels’ Impact Is Getting Lost In the Wolves’ Recent Success

Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images By Logan Harlow - 58 minutes ago It’s easy to understand why Jaden McDaniels hasn’t been the first name mentioned when talking about the Minnesota Timberwolves’ four-game winning streak. LaMelo Ball has given Minnesota the kind of shot creation it needed with Anthony Edwards sidelined. Ayo Dosunmu has gone from a complementary bench piece to a legitimate starting scoring option , including a 26-point performance in Sunday’s win over the Utah Jazz. Rudy Gobert has also looked much more like himself after a difficult start to the season. McDaniels has been doing his part. It just hasn’t been as loud. Over Minnesota’s last three games, McDaniels has averaged a cool 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and four assists while shooting 50 percent from the field. He has also recorded three blocks and four steals during that stretch. He also came through when he needed to take a bigger role. He nearly played 40 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans and finished with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Two nights later against Utah, he scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting while adding six rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. None of that is happening because the Wolves have suddenly turned McDaniels into a high-volume scorer. That’s what makes his recent stretch more interesting. McDaniels finds ways he can affect games without needing the ball constantly. When the defense gives him a clean look, he’s taking it. When a driving lane opens, he’s attacking it. When Minnesota needs another rebound or a defensive play, he’s usually involved there too. That was especially noticeable against Utah. Ayo scored 26 and LaMelo another 24 points and five assists, so those were naturally the guys everyone walked away talking about. Rightfully so, these guys have also been fantastic, but that doesn’t mean McDaniels should be ignored. He still finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists while shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. His plus-17 was tied for the best on the team. That’s the part that can get lost when Minnesota has multiple players putting up bigger offensive numbers. Jaden McDaniels is fifth in the NBA this season in plus-minus, trailing only three San Antonio Spurs players – Victor Wembanyama , Dylan Harper , and De’Aaron Fox – and Luka Doncic . That shows Jaden's massive impact on the game, regardless of whether his box score numbers are crazy. McDaniels doesn’t need to be the third player scoring 25 every night. Minnesota is probably even better when he isn’t forced into that role. His value comes from filling whatever the game is asking for while still giving the Wolves a player who can guard across positions. But there’s a difference between being versatile and being passive, and McDaniels hasn’t been passive lately. The New Orleans game was a good example of how he can be more aggressive when a game calls for it. He took 19 shots, his second-highest amount of the season, and didn’t just stand around while LaMelo handled the offense. McDaniels scored 23 points and added five assists, creating opportunities for teammates while still being aggressive on his own. Then against the Jazz, he didn’t need nearly as many shots. He took nine and still scored 16 because he made the opportunities count. His ability to change his approach from game to game is part of what makes his current stretch encouraging. Minnesota has needed more offense without Edwards, but it hasn’t needed everyone to play the same way. LaMelo can create. Ayo can be a dominant force in transition, and Gobert can control the glass. McDaniels can move between all of those responsibilities without taking the team out of its rhythm. That gives the Wolves something to think about when Edwards eventually returns. McDaniels shouldn’t return to the role he previously had before the injury just because the team’s primary scorer is back. If anything, this stretch has shown he can handle more offensive responsibility when the opportunity is there. I think Edwards himself will agree. He has always been Jaden’s biggest fan. The challenge will be him keeping that aggression when the ball eventually starts running through Edwards again. For the moment, McDaniels is doing enough to deserve more attention than he’s getting. LaMelo and Ayo have earned the spotlight during Minnesota’s four-game winning streak, and nobody needs to take that away from them. But while everyone has been watching the Wolves figure out how to replace Edwards’ offense, McDaniels has quietly been showing how much more complete this team can be when he’s involved in everything. By Logan Harlow Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form . minnesota timberwolves nba jaden mcdaniels